Permits, paperwork and what happens if you get sick up there
Nepal runs on permits, and the rules change more often than most websites admit. We file every one of these ourselves at the Kathmandu counters — you hand us a passport scan, we hand you the cards at the pre-trek briefing. Below is exactly what each one is, who needs it and what it costs at the counter.
The permits we file for you
Permit fees are government charges and are quoted here at counter rates — they are passed through at cost on your invoice, never marked up. Restricted-area fees are set in US dollars by the Department of Immigration and are collected in rupees at the day's rate.
| Permit | Who needs it | Counter cost | How long we take |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIMS card Trekkers Information Management System | Every trekker on a non-restricted route. Issued through a registered agency; the green card is the one we file for you. | NPR 2,000 per person (SAARC nationals NPR 1,000) | Filed same day — we need your passport scan 48 hours before departure |
| ACAP entry permit Annapurna Conservation Area Project | Anyone entering the Annapurna region — Base Camp, Ghorepani, the full circuit, Mardi Himal, Tilicho. | NPR 3,000 per person (SAARC nationals NPR 1,000) | 1 working day at the NTB counter in Kathmandu or Pokhara |
| Sagarmatha National Park Khumbu / Everest region, plus the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality fee | Everyone trekking to Everest Base Camp, Gokyo, Three Passes or Island Peak. | NPR 3,000 park fee + NPR 2,000 municipality fee per person | Park fee filed in Kathmandu; the municipality fee is collected at Lukla or Monjo |
| Langtang National Park Langtang valley, Gosaikunda and Helambu | All trekkers north of Syabrubesi, including the Tamang Heritage Trail. | NPR 3,000 per person (SAARC nationals NPR 1,500) | 1 working day — filed before your jeep leaves Kathmandu |
| Restricted Area Permit — Manaslu RAP, Manaslu Conservation Area | Minimum two trekkers plus a licensed guide. Solo trekking is not permitted by law. | USD 100 per person for the first 7 days (USD 75 Dec–Aug), plus USD 15 per extra day, plus MCAP NPR 3,000 | 2–3 working days at the Department of Immigration — passport originals needed |
| Restricted Area Permit — Upper Mustang RAP, Lo Manthang and the walled kingdom | Minimum two trekkers plus a licensed guide, on top of the ACAP permit. | USD 500 per person for 10 days, plus USD 50 per extra day | 2–3 working days — we file it alongside your ACAP card |
What we need from you
A clear passport photocopy or scan, two passport photographs, your insurance certificate showing helicopter rescue cover, and your Nepal visa details once you land.
Restricted areas need originals
Manaslu and Upper Mustang permits are issued against your physical passport at the Department of Immigration, so plan one spare day in Kathmandu before the trek starts.
Permits are non-transferable
Government permits are issued in your name for specific dates and a specific route. They cannot be refunded or moved to another person once filed — see our cancellation policy.
Altitude sickness and the protocol we actually follow
Acute mountain sickness is the single most common reason a Nepali trek ends early. It is not about fitness and it is not about willpower — it is about how fast you went up. Our crews are trained to treat it as a logistics problem with one reliable answer: go down.
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1
Every guide carries a pulse oximeter
Oxygen saturation and resting pulse are taken each evening above 3,000 m and written into the trip log. A reading that drops sharply overnight is treated as a symptom even if you feel fine.
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2
Ascent rates are capped
Above 3,000 m we sleep no more than 400–500 m higher than the night before, with an acclimatisation day every 1,000 m. Itineraries that break this rule are not sold, however much faster they would look on a brochure.
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3
Descend first, diagnose later
Persistent headache with nausea, ataxia, breathlessness at rest or a wet cough means an immediate descent of at least 500 m, at night if necessary. No guide of ours needs permission from the office to turn a group around.
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4
Helicopter evacuation runs through your insurer
For a genuine emergency we call the evacuation in first and file the insurance paperwork afterwards. The desk holds your policy number and the insurer's 24-hour line before you leave Kathmandu.
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5
A 24-hour SOS desk, not a voicemail
Someone answers +977 9801122334 at any hour of any night during an active departure, with the day's crew positions and the nearest landable helipad already on screen.
Insurance above 4,000 m is mandatory
Know these three before you go
- AMS
- Headache plus nausea, dizziness, poor sleep or loss of appetite. Stop climbing, rest a day, descend if it does not clear.
- HAPE
- Fluid in the lungs. Breathless at rest, a wet or frothy cough, blue lips. Immediate descent and oxygen — this kills within hours.
- HACE
- Fluid on the brain. Stumbling gait, confusion, unable to walk a straight line. Immediate descent and evacuation, no exceptions.
24-hour SOS line
For an emergency on an active departure, call the operations desk directly.
+977 9801122334Not sure which permits your route needs?
Send us the trek and your nationality. We will come back with the exact list, the counter cost in rupees and how many days in Kathmandu you need to allow.